Defense forces turnovers, succumbs to fatigue

Tormented all night long by the unrelenting Quaker defense, the Tigers (0-1 overall) managed only 60 yards of total offense and two first downs. Penn (2-0) piled up more than 490 yards of offense on the night.

The constant rain contributed to a poor offensive showing by Princeton. Slippery conditions caused confusion between senior quarterback Drew Dixon and his receivers and also made hauling in passes much more difficult. Dixon completed only four passes for 15 yards on the night and threw two interceptions.

“Our offense certainly struggled Friday night,” senior center and captain Rich Hagner said. “We just had a tough time getting everyone working in sync and making plays and putting points on the board. The weather conditions certainly didn’t help our passing game, and when we called a run, it seemed like a lot of times we were often just a block or two away from a big gain.”

Despite the offense’s lackluster performance, the Tiger defense had one of its best statistical outings in recent history. Despite the lopsided score and yardage ceded, the Princeton defense was the star of the day. With three interceptions — two by freshman linebacker Atray Dixit — four forced fumbles and three sacks, the Tiger defense displayed a ferocity and toughness that was missing in previous seasons.

“Our defense played exceptionally, possibly the best that I have seen our defense play in the last four years,” Hagner said. “They didn’t give up any points until late in the second quarter. They made some big plays and big stops to give the offense great field position.”

A lack of players and key injuries forced many players to take snaps on both sides of the ball. After junior running back Anthony Soroka left the game early in the second quarter with a knee injury, Dixit, sophomore linebacker Andrew Gabriele and junior linebacker Mike Schoder were among those who filled in the depleted backfield.

For the second game in a row, senior linebacker Brendan Reilly led the team by recording 14 total tackles and 2.5 tackles for a loss. Reilly also placed tremendous pressure on Penn quarterback Michael D’Angelo, taking him down for two key sacks.

One of Princeton’s visible weaknesses was the youth of the offensive line. Though the Quakers only recorded one sack, their linemen achieved consistent penetration and forced Dixon out of the pocket on numerous occasions, never giving him an opportunity to set his feet. The Tigers also failed to get a push from the offensive line to jump start the running game.

“Overall, it’s obvious that we need to get more physical in the run game,” Dixon said. “Once we start moving the defensive line and getting blockers on their linebackers, we’ll be able to run the ball consistently. That’ll force the defense to adjust and hopefully open up the passing game.”

Princeton will have one more shot at the Quakers this season when the team travels to Philadelphia on Halloween night for its final game of the season, and the players are already preparing themselves for that contest.

“We’re looking forward to seeing them again,” Hagner said. “They were a good team, but we certainly could have played them much better.”

Despite the outcome of this particular game, the season has just begun for Princeton. Next up on the Tigers’ schedule is Army this Friday. Though West Point has historically been unkind to Princeton, the Tigers’ defensive prowess could provide some surprises for the Black Knights.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

“We made some big stops and forced a lot of turnovers,” Dixon said. “If the defense makes plays and tackles consistently, and if the offense can give the D a break by moving the ball on some longer drives, we’ll definitely be in a lot of games.”